Relatives of crash victims receive financial support

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, Portland:

SEVERAL PERSONS who lost their loved ones in a crash in the Rio Grande Valley of Portland in December 2008 have benefited from a donation to assist with their livelihood.

Cash amounting to $75,000 was handed over to four of the surviving family members by businessman Patrick Lee to help them to purchase farm produce to resell in Kingston.

"I started this initiative on the basis of my conscience. These persons lost their breadwinners in an accident more than two years ago, and since then, things have been rather difficult for them. This donation will allow them to go back to market, so as to earn money to support themselves and family members," he continued.

Happy for donation

"I am happy for this money," said Miss Lindo, who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries. "It was getting real tough, and after losing my partner in the accident, I was merely going through the motions. Now, we will all be able to buy back goods, and sell them at the market in Kingston."

Fourteen persons died when a market truck transporting vendors to Coronation market in Kingston plunged over a precipice at Dam Bridge in the Rio Grande Valley.

Additionally, the businessman also invested $1 million to assist farmers including Owen Smith in the upper Rio Grande Valley of Barracks, Comfort Castle, Ginger House, and Mill Bank, to revive their farming, which was wiped out during heavy rains last year.

The farmers have since resumed planting of their crops, including banana, dasheen, yams, plantains, callaloo, scotch bonnet pepper and sweet potato.

- Gareth Davis